Khairul Saleh, Palembang – The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) planned to turn its attention to the public service sector, said KPK deputy head Haryono Umar in Palembang, South Sumatra, on Thursday.

Public services has been the locus of public complaints due to well-publicized corruption cases which have left public services mired in red tape.

Haryono said the KPK would initially select five regencies as pilot implementation sites to be followed by other regencies later. KPK would gather the required information but act preventively in order to expedite public services.

He cited a case at one of the customs offices recently where KPK officers conducted random inspections though they obtained meager results. The commission has formed a subsidiary which is expected to begin work by the end of the month.

"We will coordinate with other law enforcement agencies, such as the police, the prosecutor's office and the State Development Finance Comptroller (BPKP)," said Haryono during a discussion in Palembang.

The head of BPKP's South Sumatra office, Agus Sukaton, said people were looking for improvements in public services, such as streamlining license applications.

"Three sectors are potentially rife with corruption: procurement of goods and services, civil servant recruitment and public services," he said, adding the most effective and efficient way to curb corruption was to prevent it, such as by conducting spot checks on public services.

Chief of the corruption crimes division of the South Sumatra Police Adj. Sr. Comr. Totok Wibowo acknowledged difficulties in resolving various graft cases in the province quickly as police were hampered by limited authority and regulations.

"We must have written approval from the president before questioning provincial leaders or their aides, and we need permission from the governor to interview council members. The process takes time," he said, adding his division has already finished processing 118 cases, nine of which were handed over to the prosecutor's office while seven remained in the investigation stage.

Asked about progress on a bribery case involving mangrove forest conversion in Tanjung Api-Api, South Sumatra, Haryono disagreed with reports stating police were slow in handling the case, arguing they were currently gathering fresh evidence.

He said the process was proceeding as it should, and police were currently examining fresh evidence and interviewing witnesses, excluding the two persons who had been named as suspects.

"The graft cases KPK is handling must have all evidence in hand. We can't simply arrest people because the law may have been broken. Everything must be proven in court," he said.

Haryono said KPK should not lose in court since it had won all its cases so far.

Asked whether there would be new suspects in the Tanjung Api-Api case, he said, "We are still in the investigation stage, so it is possible to name new suspects. This is about justice, and not letting culprits go free."